NATURE WALK: The Cedar Trail in the Jerusalem Forest

This is a very nice circular walk through the Jerusalem Forest. It is within the Jerusalem municipal boundaries and is easily accessible by public city transport. There are beautiful vistas of parts of Jerusalem and surrounding wooded hills. One is also close enough to the Zippori Center to take a swimming break during the middle of the hike.

The Jerusalem Forest is also located entirely within the city boundaries of Jerusalem. It was planted in the late 1950’s and 1960’s by the Jewish National Fund. It has since shrunk to about a quarter of its original size. Nevertheless, it’s wonderful to have a real forest on one’s doorstep for hiking.

Time:about 2½-3 hours ﻿

Distance: 5¼ Km

Difficulty:The first part of the hike is very easy on a smooth dirt track. The second half is minimally difficult and there is climbing over rocks in a few places. This can be avoided by returning along the main road. The hike is not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs.

Starting point: The hike starts at the entrance to the park at the end of Pirhe Hen Street, (off Yefe Nof St.) at its intersection with Shlomo Zemach St.

﻿Directions: Put in Waze "Pirhei Chen 17 Jerusalem" (פרחי חן 17 ירושלים), the last house on the street. The entrance to the park has two large do-not-enter signs. ﻿﻿﻿

Parking: Park on the street near the entrance to the park on either Pirhei Chen St. or ﻿Shlomo Zemach St.

Public transplant: ﻿The start of the hike is about an 8-9 minutes walk from the Yefe Nof light rail stop. Walk down Yefe Nof St., cross at the pedestrian crossing and take the second turning on the left onto Pirhei Chen St. There are many bus routes close by. Enter into Moovit "פרחי חן"﻿﻿﻿ or "תחנת רקל׳׳ה יפה נוף"﻿

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BACKGROUND

TREES OF THE JERUSALEM FOREST

The tall slender tree in the middle of the photo is a cyprus tree (ברוש מצוי﻿) (brosh matzue), an erect coniferous evergreen, and﻿ this tree will be seen throughout the hike. It is not endogenous to Israel, but is found in Mediterranean lands such as on the mountain slopes of Lebanon (Isaiah 60:13). Wood of the brosh and ceder were brought from Lebanon for the construction of Solomon's temple (I Kings 5:24). It was commonly used for boat construction in the past, since its wood had rot resistant properties. It is very possible that the "gopher wood" from which Noah's ark was made was a cypress tree (Genesis 6:14), In Biblical times the brosh may not have been a cypress tree, but another tree such as the jupiter. The cypress is commonly grown in Israeli forests, since it thrives in most types of soil. It is also used for ornamental purposes and as a wind breaker. It can achieve great longevity, lasting hundreds of years.

The large tree to the right side of the path is a cedar tree (ארז) (erez), and there are many clusters of cedars in this forest. The Cedar of Lebanon once covered extensive areas in the Northern Hemisphere, but many of them were cut down in the Middle East. The tree did not grown in Israel and the trees in forests here have been planted. These trees can also live hundreds of years and achieve great heights. As for the cypress tree, there is debate as to whether the Cedar of Lebanon of the Bible is quite the same tree as the erez of today, and it may even have been a pine. In the past, the Cedar of Lebanon was used for buildings and ships, and the erez was used for the interior of Solomon's temple (I Kings 6:14-15)

The middle tree on the left side of the path is a common pine tree (ארן) (oren). Many pine trees were planted in forests after the War of Independence to establish a Jewish presence up to the armistice lines, since trees were easier to place than people. The Green Line was called such because the armistice line was marked with a green felt pen. However, the name stuck because the border could be clearly demarcated because of the greenery on the Israeli side. Pine trees grow very quickly and they rapidly achieved the function they were intended for. However, it subsequently became apparent that these are not ideal trees for forests. They are not indigenous to Israel. They have a somewhat shallow root system. The cones and trees readily burn and arson and accidents can destroy a forest. ﻿More recent afforestation in the country now uses a variety of trees, especially those endogenous to the country.

The trail:

Enter into the park and you will soon come to the Australia Garden on your left. Ascend the steps on the trail which is signposted "שביל הארז" (The Cedar Trail) and follow the blue markings. You are now overlooking Nahal Revida, which drains into Nahal Sorek. On the other side of the valley is the neighborhood of Kfar Shaul and in the distance Mevazeret Zion.

After about 45 minutes (1¾ Km) you will come to a fork. Take the left fork signposted to "ארז בן-גריון 50 מ׳" (Ben Gurion’s cedar). This cedar tree is located in the middle of a small plaza﻿ and was planted by David Ben Gurion in 1958 when he was prime minister of Israel.

At this point, it is worth ascending to Keren Hill. This hill has been a site of habitation since the Bronze Age, has﻿ had strategic importance and is a nice look-out point. Walk through the plaza passing Ben Gurion's cedar, and continue straight ahead. Notice the trenches on the right built by the Turks during World War 1. ﻿The path up the hill is not marked, but there are steps directly below where the green metal railings on top of the hill meet the stone fence.

During the War of Independence, this hill was occupied by Arab forces that fired on the neighborhoods of Beit Hakerem and Bayit Vegan. It was captured by the Jonathan Platoon, a group of fighters too young to be drafted, together with Gadna youth recruited because of a shortage of fighters to relieve the besieged city of Jerusalem. The Jonathan Platoon also held forces at bay in Notre Dame, Mount Zion and Ramat Rachel, and this was important for establishing the southern border of Jerusalem, and they were involved in battles for Malha and Ein Karem. From the top of the hill, walk a short distance to the left for views of Ein Karem below and Hadassah Hospital above the town.

Retrace your steps and return to the signed junction. Take the blue-marked path sign-posted "המשך מסלול" and continue on this footpath until it reaches a paved road. (The way back through the forest is slightly difficult and there is the option at this point of returning to your starting point along this paved road).

Cross the road to the continuation of the Cedar Trail which is located directly opposite. Look for the blue markers as the path winds downhill through picnic areas, and leads to another paved road. If you like swimming, this is a good point to turn off to the Zippori Center for an outdoor swim (see section on Swimming in Jerusalem), as it is only a short walking distance away﻿.

Cross this road and continue onto a paved road directly opposite which leads to a recreation area. This has plenty of shaded picnic benches, climbing apparatus for kids, and even a small basketball court. The blue markers take you past the park. The continuation of the Cedar Trail is on the right just before the closed green metal barrier.

This part of the trail is well-marked with blue markers and leads eventually to steps to a paved road. Cross this road and directly opposite on the other side of the road is the continuation of the trail. This leads to the second paved road opposite to the Australia Garden. Turn left. You are now only a short distance from the entrance to the park.

Map of the forest.

This is Ben Gurion's cedar tree that he planted in the early days of the forest when he was Prime Minister.﻿ Admittedly, it is not overwhelming!